Walk on the Wild Side
by Akela Victoire
Summary: Sequel to Dark Reflections and last in series. Tecna's game with Duman comes to close and she has to live with the major changes it brought to her life. Though it's been a long and challenging road over the years at times, she has no regrets about the way things turned out.


And here it is! The last one-shot in my Tecna/Duman series experiment. Special thanks to those who stuck through all the way to the end and I hope you like what this will lead into eventually! :D

* * *

_**Part I**_

Tecna still felt peeved at the fact that the Wizards of the Black Circle had managed to get past the protections she had placed on the White Circle.

After she, the rest of the Winx Club and Roxy had discovered the true extent of the artefact's power by using their Tracix wings to see the Circle's history, she had come up with the brilliant idea of hiding it in her favourite video game. She thought it would be safe there.

It was a brilliant idea. She was the Fairy of Technology. Her powers centred around all electronic gadgets and the energy that made them run. Surely only someone with her powers would be able to get to it, right?

Wrong.

She hated being wrong.

And Duman, who had been so easily restrained by Helia's magic ropes (much to her surprise, though it was only for a short time) had taunted her about it.

He had the _nerve_ to actually taunt her about it.

Older and wiser _indeed._

And now he and the other Wizards had disappeared after they'd failed to gain the White Circle.

Just like the last time they'd disappeared for a bit, she couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't defeated for good yet.

Aisha had voiced it perfectly: _"And we don't know whether the Wizards have been defeated or just weakened!"_

Tecna was betting on the latter of the two.

The Wizards of the Black Circle were strong opponents after all. They'd come back once before when they were unsure of their defeat and unless they had personally made sure they were dead or locked away in another dimension (she thought the Omega Dimension would be the perfect place for them...), they were sure to be back.

It was only a matter of time and she told them so.

"In that case, we'd better make sure we're ready for them!" Bloom declared and everyone agreed with her.

Of course, she didn't think it would be easy.

She somehow had the sinking feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong...

She rubbed her stomach idly.

Like it already had.

* * *

_**Part II**_

She and the others were playing in the Winx band at the Fruitti Tuitti Music Bar (she still wondered how Bloom became the lead singer) when she saw _them_ entering.

The Wizards of the Black Circle strode in quite boldly.

Or at least, not quite.

Gantlos was supporting Duman, who looked... ill...

Duman was sick?

Tecna felt a flash of worry for him, but quickly shook it off.

As soon as the other Winx saw, they headed over, all tense and some of them standing in a protective stance around Roxy.

Glancing at the Specialists and Nabu, they all seemed ready to summon their weapons/magical staff if needed.

"We mean no harm." Ogron held up his hands.

"Yeah, right." Tecna and scoffed in unison, glancing at each other.

"What do you want, Wizards?" Bloom asked, an edge to her tone.

After they had eventually explain all they wanted later, Tecna had to wonder if her friends were really some class A _idiots._

Surrender?

Really now?

_Surrender?_

Who did they think they were playing?

More like "I surrender, suckers!" if they actually believed it...

Unfortunately, most of them actually did believe it...

She didn't believe it for a minute when Duman and the other Wizards of the Black Circle showed up and told her and the other Winx Club members that they actually _surrendered._

Not from the start and still not now.

What's that? The Wizards of the Black Circle needed _their_ help?

Despite the pitiful look on Ogron's face, Tecna didn't buy it for a minute.

After all the power they had accumulated and their ruthlessness in doing so, these wizards who were so much older and more knowledgeable about different kinds of magic needed _their_ help?

She almost laughed at the thought.

And for some reason, the Winx had actually_ agreed_ to try and help him.

They were going to go to Italy to see of Sibylla, the Major Fairy of Justice to see if she could heal him.

They were going to actually expend time and energy trying to help _Duman _of all people.

Duman glanced at her and their eyes made four for a moment before Tecna's hardened and she looked away.

The game was done as far as she was concerned and she certainly wasn't about to spend much of her time, energy and magic trying to help him, especially when her energy had to be directed towards something much more important now...

* * *

_**Part III**_

Death.

It's not usually an easy thing to deal with.

As evidenced by Aisha's reaction to it.

And everyone else of course.

Nabu was dead.

Killed when he put too much of his energy into foiling the trap that the Wizards of the Black Circle had set up for the Earth Fairies.

Added to what energy he had spent finally ridding the world of Duman...

Killing two wizards in one stone, really.

The only two people who knew of her betrayal were both now completely unable to expose her.

Dead wizards tell no tales after all...

Her feelings were mixed.

On one hand, she was glad that Duman was gone. She had enjoyed the game she played with him, but she knew it had to end eventually. It was fun while it lasted...

She struggled to hold back her smile at the thought. It simply would not do to smile and appear happy at the death of Aisha's fiancé...

On the other hand, Nabu was dead.

While she was glad he would never be able to expose her now, she didn't actually wish him dead...

He made Aisha happy and he was a great help to all of them on this mission. He had rid the world of Duman and foiled the plans Wizards of the Black Circle after all...

Aisha went mad in her grief.

She wanted revenge.

Revenge on Ogron and the remaining Black Circle members for wasting the third Gift of Destiny on a mere dead flower. Nabu could have been brought back, but instead Ogron had stolen the resurrection gift and wasted it, effectively ending any chances of ever bringing him back...

She _actually left the Winx Club_ to join Nebula and her Warrior Fairies in her quest for revenge on Ogron, Gantlos and Anagan.

Despite their pleas for her not to do it, she actually turned on them for a time when they refused to join her.

"It's not right, Aisha!"

"Revenge won't bring Nabu back, Aisha!"

_"Maybe not, but it sure would feel good..."_ Tecna thought, secretly on Aisha's side.

"I don't care. You're either with me or against me!" Aisha snarled.

"Aisha, be reasonable!" Bloom pleaded.

"Fine. If you're not going to join me, then I'll go on my own with Nebula!" Aisha turned her back on them and left with Nebula and the fairies loyal to her.

Tecna and the other Winx couldn't help but look helplessly at one another.

Unlike the others, she knew that Aisha deserved her revenge. The Wizards of the Black Circle had to be finished off once and for all eventually before any of them could rest easily, but Aisha going off with Nebula wouldn't end well, she thought.

They were going off in anger. Well-deserved anger, but still, anger. They didn't focus on the bigger picture: the Wizards of the Black Circle were still very powerful opponents and going off to fight them without thinking clearly would only end in disaster.

Despite everything she had done, she would still rather not have Aisha injured or worse because of this.

She might have had something else to consider right now in addition to her own welfare, but she didn't care. She was going to go with her friends to stop her from doing something she would majorly regret.

* * *

_**Part IV**_

This place still scared her greatly.

She never thought she'd be back here, and yet she was. It was the place of her nightmares for several months after she'd made her fateful Enchantix sacrifice in her last year at Alfea.

Even now she still had the occasional nightmare about this place.

She shuddered as she, the Winx (except for Aisha), Roxy and the Specialists walked through it.

Aisha just _would_ have to come down here. This really, really creepy place... But then again, neither of them had been doing logical things recently, herself especially...

She rubbed her stomach and glanced down at the slight swell there briefly.

"Tecna, are you alright?" Flora asked in concern, walking over to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Not really, but I should be fine..." Tecna shuddered.

The others, except for Roxy who never knew about her confinement in the Omega Dimension glanced at her in concern, probably worried that she'd break down or something.

She wasn't was weak as that. She had survived here for more than two weeks on her own, fighting off man and monsters alike in that dimension, not to mention keeping warm and making food for herself.

She wasn't that weak. Besides she had a mission to do and she wasn't about to fail it, current state aside.

Even though she was still scared.

"I sense them! Ogron, Anagan and Gantlos are nearby!" Roxy suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone tensed up.

"Okay everyone! Be prepared!" Bloom's hand went alight and Tecna's own hands crackled with electrical energy.

They flew quickly while the Specialists ran behind them and they soon came on the scene of Ogron about to blast Aisha.

"Oh no you don't, Ogron!" Tecna was one of the first to fire off her blasts, which slammed Ogron into the wall behind him and Aisha.

"You... all of you came down here to..." Aisha said, still in shock.

"We did. But no time to chat. I don't know but the others, but I'd rather like to get the hell out of here!" Tecna exclaimed as Ogron got up again.

"YOU! THERE YOU ARE!" They all looked around to see Nebula flying overhead, shouting at Ogron angrily.

Just then, Gantlos and Anagan also showed up, standing by Ogron's side.

"We won't be defeated that easily you know!" Ogron declared.

"Oh, we know, Ogron!" Bloom exclaimed. "WINX CONVERGENCE!"

Tecna lent her energy to the spell, as did Roxy, Nebula and Aisha with all of her might.

All of the fairies formed a giant sphere of energy above their heads and brought it down, aiming it directly at the remaining Wizards of the Black Circle.

The Wizards had also launched their own joint attack, but the fairies' power had become much too strong for them and their own spell backfired and when all the magical energy simmered down, the fairies saw the results of their magic.

Ogron, Anagan and Gantlos were frozen solid within thick slabs of ice, screams of fear preserved on their faces- the first time Tecna had seen that expression on any of their faces.

She hadn't even seen a hint of it on Duman's face when he was ill.

The ice from the ceiling started falling off as the ground began to shake.

"We'd better get out of here!" Stella exclaimed in fear.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Let's go!" Tecna led the way out as she (both fortunately and unfortunately) knew the way out quite well.

After some time after they rest of them had gotten out, Bloom and Nebula finally emerged and Tecna breathed a sigh of relief.

As Morgana went over to talk to Nebula, Bloom headed over to greet Aisha and the Fairy of Waves burst out into tears, quite understandably still upset over everything that had happened recently.

Tecna and the others went in for a group hug.

She knew it was one of the last she'd have from her friends so she decided to make good use of it, hugging them all as tightly as she could.

* * *

_**Part V**_

It was hard breaking up with Timmy, but not as hard as she had thought it would be.

Apparently, Timmy had felt the connection between them lessening over the past few months, even before she had began her game with Duman, but he had felt it even more during their year here on Earth.

Big surprise.

"I know you supported me over the past few years and I heard of how you felt when I was trapped in the Omega Dimension..." Tecna said with a tear in her eye as they met at a bench in Gardenia Park.

"I know. It really was a horrible time for us both. You even more so of course, but still horrible. But if... if we don't feel that much romantic feelings towards each other anymore, it's only logical that we do break up and go on with our lives..." Timmy said weakly.

"You're right. I've already told the Winx that I don't plan on going back to Magix with them. I'm going to travel around for a while. I don't know whether or not I'll even go back to Zenith..." Tecna sighed sadly.

"But... You're going to abandon your home world? Why?" Timmy asked in shock.

"There are other things that I won't be able to do if I remain a Guardian Fairy, Timmy. I won't have as much freedom as I would have otherwise. I would have to adhere to a lot of strict guidelines, protocol... plus political games are not my thing. I need to go. It would not make any sense for me to stay and be unhappy..." She said.

"But why would you be unhappy going home?" Timmy asked, puzzled.

"You wouldn't understand, Timmy." Tecna said, standing up. "You... just wouldn't. I need to go. I've already said all my goodbyes to the others..."

Tecna shook her head to clear it as she sat in the middle of a large library, reading.

Her large, heavily pregnant belly stood out in front of her and she rubbed it.

"Ah, little one. I can feel that you're going to a very powerful being. Never mind that I will have to raise you here by myself in Paris..." Tecna glanced out of a nearby window and saw the city skyline of Paris in the distance.

"The other Winx would never think to find me here, would they? And a good thing too, since I'm pregnant with Duman's daughter..." She chuckled. "And the fact that I'm now a criminal myself... but how else do they expect me to pay for this place? You're my daughter. You deserve nothing but the best!"

Since she had come to France, she had used her powers to steal and con people and she found the thrill of it rather exciting.

Within a few weeks after arriving, she had had more than enough money to buy this manor as well as prepare for the impending arrival of her baby, who was now due any time soon.

"Just because I made mistakes that I regretted at first, doesn't mean you're going to suffer for it, baby. I'm going to make sure of that. You are going to be well taken care of..."

As she stood up and looked at the fall leaves dropping off the trees, a strange sensation passed through her body.

She looked down at her large stomach knowingly.

"I guess you want to get out of there soon, huh?" She rubbed her stomach. "Don't worry. I'm well prepared. I managed to find someone here that was quite willing to help me make arrangements for my giving birth to you. Who knew that people from Magix still lived on Earth, huh?"

* * *

_**Part VI**_

_"Noémie, where are you?"_ Tecna called out in French, walking around the snow-covered grounds of her manor.

"Over here, Mother!" A young female called back, also in French, darting out from a cluster of trees laughing as she ran through the snow towards her mother, straight, shoulder-length magenta hair flapping behind her.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much in the ten years since you've been alive, Noémie..." Tecna raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "What have you been up to?"

"I have been practicing my magic! Look!" Noémie shapeshifted into a polar bear cub.

"Wow. That's brilliant, Noémie! You must have really been working hard!" Tecna exclaimed in genuine surprise.

"I have, naturally. I want to be as powerful as you and my father were!" Noémie exclaimed.

"You're very powerful yourself, daughter. Do not stress yourself out. I was not even able to transform into my basic Winx form until I was fourteen and here you are at the age of ten, being able to change into some things already. I guess your father must have been this strong when he was young too..." Tecna mused.

"Mother, can you tell me more about him? I wish to know more. What was he like?" Noémie's yellow eyes- that looked almost just like Duman's- looked up at her.

"Not yet, dear. You are not old enough to know the full story. Now come in out of the cold. I want to make sure you are all right before I go out..." Tecna ushered her daughter inside.

"Are you going to leave me with the robot servants again?" Noémie frowned. "I do not like them very much, Mother..." The little girl glared at the pair of humanoid robots that entered the room behind them, folding her arms.

"Only for a few hours. I have... _business_ to attend to with Adrianne and some others..." She said.

"But..." Noémie started to protest, but went silent at a look from her mother.

"I know you want me to stay, but I do have to go. I spend a lot of time with you already, don't I?" Tecna raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you do, Mother. Most of the time you are home instead of out, but..."

Tecna glared at her daughter again and she went silent again.

"I should be back in a few hours. And don't think you can get away with hacking the robots' internal computers again. I don't know how you did it, but I've made sure it won't happen again..."

Noémie pouted. "But that was fun! I like to scramble the robots! It is hilario-"

"No more tricks while I'm gone. _Understand?_" Tecna narrowed her eyes.

"I understand, Mother..." Noémie sunk into a nearby chair, sulking.

What kind of business it was, Noémie was not yet fully aware of, but she would be once she got older.

Tecna changed her winter gear into something more stylish, yet practical (she had hauled on random items to go look for her daughter) as she left to head out into the city.

She soon arrived at a posh area of the city and made her way into an upscale apartment complex.

The security nodded to her and waved her on, already quite familiar with her.

"Adrianne, I am here!" She said in English as she knocked on the door.

"Oh good. You're the last to arrive." A brown haired woman waved her inside, locked the door and cast spells on it, just to be certain no one would overhear and no uninvited guests would show up.

"We're quite the team, aren't we?" One short-haired blond man chuckled.

"Yep we are, Michel. A bunch of outcasts and criminals from the Magical Dimension hanging out here on Earth..." Adrianne laughed.

"But no one would ever guess that we'd have a member of the Winx Club among us, would we? We'd think she'd be more likely to fight us and turn us into the cops in Magix!" Another man chortled.

"Relax. I'm just as much an outcast as the rest of you are now. Besides, I won't betray any of you. The loyalty oaths we took before setting up this little club of ours would prevent me or any of us doing that, wouldn't it?" Tecna said.

"Good thing too. With the way magic started re-emerging on Earth ten years ago, more and more links with this planet and Magix are being established. We need to be even more careful than before." Another woman said, this one with light green hair.

"And we are, Emilie. None of us even knows where anyone else lives. Not even Adrianne and she helped organize Noémie's birth at one of Paris' best hospitals without giving my magic away ten years ago..." Tecna said.

"As much as I like to hear about my favourite little shapeshifter, what's on our agenda for today?" Adrianne asked.

"We need to learn more methods for throwing both magical and non-magical authorities off our trails and learning to leave as little a trail as possible. Plus we do have plans to expand our legitimate business side, don't we? Didn't Michel want to open one of those nice, posh restaurants?" Tecna asked.

"I do. You have your technology store, Adrianne has a boutique, Emilie has a jewellery store, so why should I not have a legitimate business as a front as well?" Michel shrugged.

"All the better. That would help to hide the darker side of things..." Tecna nodded.

Yes, Tecna had managed to find others on Earth who were outcasts of Magix. Adrianne, Michel and Emilie were all quite a few years older and had been in France much longer.

Adrianne was a fairy who hailed from Romulea. Convicted of several strings of robberies across the magical dimensions, she had been sentenced to thirty years in prison, but had escaped the transporter and came to Earth, France being the first country she arrived in. After travelling around to several cities in the country, she had settle on Paris.

Emilie was a witch from Fortuna who had been convicted of the brutal murder of her family after years of mistreatment because of her being a witch and had been sentenced to spend eternity in the Omega Dimension. She'd managed to escape from there after Valtor had made the portal unstable and she was the only one of the bunch that still slightly unnerved Tecna even now.

Michel was the only one to actually have been born in France. His parents had been exiled from Lucis for treason and had ended up on Earth, raising him in Orléans, before he moved on his own to Paris.

They all had their own story of being outcasts, so they all stuck together, going through life doing whatever they wanted to do to make a living, legal or not.

Tecna had made herself richer than she'd ever thought she'd be when she'd joined in and she hoped one day to introduce Noémie to the enterprise when she was old enough.

* * *

_**Part VII**_

"Happy Birthday, Noémie. It isn't often that a girl turns sixteen..." Tecna said to daughter in English as she came in from school.

"Thank you, maman. It was indeed a happy birthday for me. Stéphanie tried to ruin it, but I ended up putting her in her place..." Noémie smirked as she pulled off her coat.

"What did you do?" Tecna raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Noémie fiddled with her multiple hoop earrings as she spoke. "I may or may not 'ave sabotaged 'er chemistry assignment, made some of 'er homework go missing _and _made 'er look like an idiot- or more of an idiot anyway- in front of 'er boyfriend..." She smirked.

"And you did all of that without anyone seeing that you have magic, right?" Tecna asked.

"Yes, I did, of course. I never get caught. She suspects eet may be me zat was ze cause of 'er... _misfortune _but she cannot prove anything. Why me een particular I do not know since she ees disliked by many ozer personnes as well..." Noémie shrugged.

"Good. Stand up for yourself, and never let anyone stomp all over you. Now, Noémie, I have decided that you are old enough..." Tecna gestured for her daughter to sit down.

"For me to know what? Are you going to tell me more about my father?" Noémie asked.

"Smart girl, Noémie. Yes I am. Depends on your point of view whether or not it will spoil your birthday, but you need to know..."

"I 'ave wanted to know for years. It weel not spoil my birthday at all. In fact, it weel make eet even better so go ahead, maman. Tell me about 'im..." Noémie devoted all her attention to her mother.

Tecna sighed. "Well, all of this started when I was on Earth with the Winx Club. We were on a mission to find the last Earth fairy before the Wizards of the Black Circle could..."

As she wove the story, Noémie took in every detail, hanging onto every word.

Once Tecna was done, Noémie sat there in silence.

"Noémie, are you all right?" Tecna asked in French, a concerned expression appearing on her face.

"I... I am fine, Mother. It explains a lot. About my powers, about how you raised me over the years... everything. I understand everything so much more clearly now..." Noémie said in awe.

"Are you not upset?" Tecna asked.

"Why should I be? My father was a strong, powerful man and it was certainly not his fault that he died. He went after what he wanted and he did not let a little thing like _morals_ stop him..." Noémie scoffed.

Tecna raised an eyebrow. "You are most certainly taking it much better than I would have thought..."

"I am fine, Mother. I do not mind what you have told me at all. It has made my birthday so much more interesting, in fact..." A strange glint appeared in Noémie's eyes as she smirked.

"Indeed... I have plans to take you out to Magic City as well. It's only mid afternoon there right now, so we have plenty of time. You know the drill, dear..." Tecna said as she cast spells on herself, changing her appearance to that of a woman with shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes and a tan, while Noémie simply shapeshifted into a younger looking version of her except with blue eyes.

* * *

_**Part VIII**_

Twenty five years.

It had been twenty five years since her game with Duman had ended.

She glanced at her PDA.

The newest school year in Magix was going to start today.

If Noémie had been a fairy, she'd have sent her to Alfea. She still believed it would have been the best for her if she were. She might have even had a few good times there if she had been able to go.

Her old friends, the former Winx Club had their own children attending school in Magix. Some had already started and some were only just starting this year.

She knew Musa and Riven's daughter Neima was going to start at Alfea this year and Stella and Brandon's daughter Eleanor was going to start at Cloud Tower.

She chuckled in amusement at the thought of Stella having a witch daughter. She could only imagine the Solarian princess' reaction to the fact that her daughter wanted to train as a witch...

It was probably nothing compared to Bloom's reaction when Princess Joanna decided she wanted to study at Cloud Tower the year before. She'd have paid good money to see her mother's reaction to it...

And Timmy... Timmy had actually moved on in his romantic life with _Mirta_ of all people. She also knew that they had four children, the youngest of which was a daughter- their only daughter- that was going to start at Alfea this year. Allegra, she thought she was called...

Noémie was going to have her twenty fifth birthday in a few weeks when November rolled around.

Tecna still found it hard to believe that it had been so long...

So long ago, she had decided to walk on the wild side with Duman and she had no idea where it would have brought her to today.

She, living on Earth, where magic was re-emerging to a point that a magic school had been established, her becoming a magical criminal, actually giving birth to Duman's daughter that was so much like him in looks, temperament and powers... She could almost swear that the only thing her daughter had gotten from her was her academic ability and her gift for computers and numbers...

Yet somehow she didn't regret any of what she had done in the slightest anymore.

"Mother, I am going to Magix City later. I just thought I would let you know what I am up to!" Noémie spoke in French as she walked into the living room, where her mother sat in thought.

"Really? You hardly ever let me know what you are up to these days..." Tecna raised an eyebrow.

"Mother, I am almost twenty five years old. I don't need to let you know everything that I do!" Noémie rolled her eyes.

"That is true, but you must always remember to be careful. You know who your father is and if anyone found out that not only are you his daughter but that I am your mother as well..."

"Relax, Mother. Have I not always been careful? I help you out with your... _work,_ don't I? And I have never once been caught!" Noémie exclaimed.

"Very well then. Go and have your fun..." Tecna waved her off.

Tecna returned to her thoughts.

Sometimes she missed the life she had left behind in Magix, but she always thought it best that she stay here on Earth, due to the unintended consequence of getting pregnant with Duman's child.

A stupid mistake that could have been easily avoided.

She could have gotten away with everything that she had done had she been more careful.

Still, she had gotten a powerful, intelligent daughter out of it that she loved in her own way. Tecna might not have been the typical, cuddly, doting mother to her daughter, but she still did love her.

She had her own career and empire. Though it wasn't one that most people would approve of and even though it wasn't entirely legal what she was doing, she didn't care. She liked what she was doing.

What was the point in life if you didn't do a few wild things and take a couple chances every once in a while?

She regretted nothing.

* * *

Picture of Noémie will be up om my deviantArt account shortly. I'm TropicalSnow there.

And that's the end! It's been an interesting ride, hasn't it? And judging by then end, you know what kind of fic I'm planning to throw my virtual hat into the ring of! The Next-Gen fic!

_**Game Changer:**_ _Coming soon..._

So put me on alert if you haven't already if you'd like to see it. Here's hoping that it won't be as cliché as some I've seen on the site!

**_Thanks for sticking around for the ride!  
_**


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